New Blϋd
by Tara Walden
Summary: KLU- Pain is going to happen regardless of what you do in life. What you do with it, well that's where you get a little say so.
1. Chapter 1: Why?

**Okay, so this is a little story that I've been toying with the idea of for months, so I thought I'd give it a whirl and see what happens.**

**I'd like to thank newsiesgirllaces for reading this before I posted it and giving me input. ^_^**

**Hope you like it.**

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So many faces. Faces without names when she first met them. After all, it isn't her job to ID them. **They** would do that later. But now, she is responsible for fleeting moments in time that will decide the lives of those she meets. Those nameless faces belong to victims, blood covered, victims. Be they innocent bystander or those that leave people cowering in their beds with all the doors locked. Men, women, children, elderly. No one is safe. No one. They all end up with her at some point in a fast ride with sirens blaring, but a lot of them don't make it to the place that can heal them. A lot of them don't make it past the first few minutes at that place either…

These faces surround her, engulf her, plead for their lives from her. But she can't help them. It's not fair. How can they expect her to? She is always too late for them.

And just as she thinks she may be overwhelmed by them, suffocating from them closing in around her and-

She wakes up screaming and clenching the bed sheet, covered in sweat.

It takes a moment for the shock to die down before she realizes it was a dream. The same dream she's been having for months now. And the tears start to fall.

They trace their way from her tired eyes that have seen too much, down to her light blue bed sheets. In a moment of helplessness, she simply curls up in a ball and cries. Moments, maybe hours later, she allows herself to fall back, once more lying her head on the pillow, but knows that sleep will escape her. She covers her eyes with her hands, trying to block out the images. The sounds. The screams of agony and anguish. Try as she might though, she knows that they won't go away.

"Why is it always too late?" she asks the walls of her bedroom. "Why?"

Her cries, of course, are only heard by herself and the moon.

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**Like it, love it? Even if you hate it give me some feedback please. ^_^**

**Thanks for reading this little prologue.**

**~Kanae~**


	2. Chapter 2: A Long Day

**Enjoy. ^_^**

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Later that same morning, she drags herself out of bed and into the bathroom where she goes through her normal routine. Shower, get dressed, grab breakfast, brush teeth, leave the house.

What stops this routine, however, is when she gets a good look of herself in the mirror after having brushed her teeth. Her normally tanned skin seems paler somehow and the dark rings under her eyes are nothing less than obvious. She needs so badly to sleep. To really sleep without fear of crazy dreams bothering her. Without waking up screaming in the middle of the night.

She turns on the water faucet again and splashes her face before inspecting her eyes. Heaving a sigh, she leans on the vanity.

"Today is gonna be a long day…" she sighs.

Moments later, she's picking up a bag and heading out the door, making sure to lock it. Sure with some random vigilante running around at night it is safer, but she doesn't want to take chances. Someone can break in. Even in her haggard state she knows that. Doors shut, alarm on. That has been her routine every morning since she had gotten her own place in which to live.

She gets in her car and begins the daily transit to her work place. Upon reaching her destination, she and her partner climb into the large vehicle in the garage and begin making their rounds.

She is driving as he relates some tale of his household. His little girl, Maria, is sick with the flu. She has to say that she feels bad for the guy and his little girl, but she's not really paying attention. It's all she can do to focus on the road. She barely registers him saying something about his wife nagging him when the radio comes on and a call goes out. One that shocks her. There's been a break in and there are two elderly people who have been hurt. The dispatcher asks who's near their street. Immediately, she makes an illegal u-turn at a speed very much over the speed limit that would probably be frowned upon if it weren't for the fact that she's switched the sirens on. People quickly move out of the way as her partner tries to figure out what's going on.

"What are you doing?"

"My job," shes says matter-of- factly, but it's much more than that and she knows it.

She quickly picks up the radio and answers the dispatcher, "We're en route right now. We will respond. Over."

The speakers crackle to life once more, "Affirmative. An officer is already on the scene. Over."

"Understood. ETA is two minutes. Over."

She quickly replaces the radio into the slide on the dash.

"I've never seen you this upset before," says her partner, knowing that something is definitely not right. That something is off. "What's wrong, Mai?"

"Everything, Don," she says, trying to focus on the road and dodging random cars that wouldn't pull over. "That address… that address belongs to my parents."

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**The chapters will be getting longer soon, I promise you that. **

**Once again, reviews are VERY welcome, because they help me as a writer. ^_^**

**~Kanae~**


	3. Chapter 3: Gotta Think Fast

**Yes! Finally, a chapter over 1,000 words! The first one so far.**

**Well, what can I say? The plot thickens. **

**Enjoy. ^_^**

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"Ma'am! Ma'am! Stay with me! Help is on its way," a clear voice practically yells, the distraught tone easily heard. He is struggling. Struggling to save the only one still alive. The man is already dead. Had been by the time he got there.

He puts as much pressure on the abdomen wound as he possibly can. Trying desperately to help this woman. By looking around at the assortment of pictures, he is fairly certain that, somewhere, this woman- and her now dead husband- have a child who will miss them.

His partner and boss Sgt. Amy Rohrbach is upstairs clearing the house, making sure that everything is okay and safe, but she left him to take care of the woman because he had some idea of what to do.

'_I called it in as a break-in, but it doesn't look like anything is missing. It's like someone purposely broke into this house just to shoot this elderly couple. But why? It doesn't make sense. Something's not right._

But just as these thoughts pass through his head, his eyes widen. He double checks and then leans back on his feet and closes his eyes. Too late. He was too late. Maybe if he'd gotten there sooner. Maybe then.

"Officer?" comes a small voice from somewhere behind him. One of the paramedics.

He turns to look at the two paramedics, allowing a full view of the carnage around him. As soon as he turns, he recognizes her. The same woman from the pictures that were obviously so lovingly placed around the house.

He watches as the woman's eyes open in shock.

"I'm sorry…" he begins. "I did what I could, but… Your parents… They're dead."

The young woman seems to shake her head ever so slightly as if hoping that she misheard him, that she was seeing things, but the nightmare she is experiencing is real. She starts to stumble over to where he sits, in front of the bodies of her parents.

'_This is all my fault…' _he thinks, as the woman's legs give out on her upon reaching the bodies.

He can't help but notice how fragile she looks. As if one touch could either kill her or save her. Slowly, very slowly, he begins to reach out to her, but he stops, unsure if he should. He makes his decision though and places his bloodstained hand on her small shoulder.

"I'm… I'm sorry for your loss ma'am."

She doesn't respond other than the fact that she stops trembling. She's still in shock. The sights haven't sunk in yet. The words have no real meaning.

"Ma'am, I know this is difficult, but… I need you to answer a few questions for me. Can you do that?"

She nods, still in her daze, "Anything, officer. Ask anything you need to know."

'_Brave girl. Trying to stay in one piece when her world's falling apart.'_

The officer can't help but remember back to when his own parents were killed. Both taken from him at the same time, much like this young woman's have been.

"Officer?" comes her voice, tearing him from painful remembrances. She's still staring at the bodies, not at him, but he know she's waiting for my questions. My knowledge is further supported when she says, "Officer. You said you needed some answers."

He clear my throat, trying to keep my voice calm and unaffected. "Yes I do."

"What do you need to know?"

"Who are the victims?" he asks as her partner sits down beside her.

This seems to pull her back to a clear thinking state of mind, if not still in disbelief of the tragedy around her. "Anwar and Nidawi Jendayi. My… parents. And before you ask, they're both 56. Father was born on March 15th, and Mother on July 5th."

"Do they—"

"No they don't have any enemies," she says looking over her shoulder at the bodies.

"How do you—"

"Keep answering you before you ask the question?" she finishes looking back at me once more. "This isn't my first crime scene. Just the first personal one." Her eyes start to get that shiny look to them like right before a good cry, but she quickly forces herself to focus and look back at me. "But go ahead, officer. I won't interrupt you anymore. What else do you—"

_**BLAM!**_

Her words are interrupted as the first shot rings out, barely missing his head. His reflexes kick in and he automatically forces her down, one of his arms protectively encircling her shoulders, the other arm, yanking her partner down by his shoulder. He ducks down as far as he can, shielding her from the direction of the bullets and pulling her partner over closer to where they are huddled behind the sofa.

She's clinging to his arm and he doesn't have to see her face to know that she's terrified. Her partner seems to be a little more aware as he places a hand on her back, trying to calm her. They exchange a look over her head and he know that there's something wrong.

"What is it?" the officer asks as shots continue to riddle the air.

"She… She's probably going into shock right now."

"For what?" he asks. Sure there's gunfire, but that shouldn't mess up a paramedic. They have to deal with it all the time.

At his question, her partner gets an anxious look on his face. "She… She's been dealing with some stuff since the last big gang shooting here."

His eyes widen, "She's dealing with post-traumatic stress?" The paramedic nods timidly and the black-haired officer almost goes off. "Why is she still working? Why didn't you tell anyone if you knew?"

"She made me swear not to tell anyone. She said she had it under control. I guess—"

Whatever he was fixing to say is abruptly cut off by another shot coming very close to hitting them. The officer realizes he has to do something. He doesn't know where Sgt. Rohrbach is, but he knows he has to do something.

"Ms…" he realizes he doesn't know her name and looks to her partner for help.

"Mai, Mai Jendayi."

"Ms. Jendayi," he say. After a moment, she looks up at him, eyes wide and clearly she's not entirely focused on him. "I need you to stay with your partner while I try to fix this situation. Can you do that for me?"

She gives him a minute nod and, after a little prompting, releases his arm from her death grip. Who knew that a woman barely over five feet could leave a bruise?

Her partner puts himself between her and the bullets, just as the officer had done. Had to give the guy points. He had guts.

He realizes that he's looking at him for instruction. And so he thinks quickly. He needs a plan. He can't go into this without thinking.

And he's gotta think fast or they'll all die.

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**duh duh DUHN!**

**Cliff hanger... *curls up in a ball in the corner* Please don't kill me...**

**Well, reviews welcome. Hope you enjoyed and I'll try to update soon. ^_^**

**~Kanae~**


	4. Chapter 4: Fire Poker

**I'm so proud of myself. An update a day thus far. Largely in part to newsiesgirllaces encouraging me and reading the chapters before I post them.**

**Well, I love a good cliff hanger, but you can only have your audience hang there so long, so... On with the story.**

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A momentary lapse in gunfire tells him that the gunman is having to stop to reload. Faster than either of the paramedics can follow, the officer jumps the sofa and silently runs toward the direction of the gunfire. The shooter is outside the window, clearly trying to stay as far away as possible. The gunman sees the officer running at him and begins panicking as he fumbles to reload. Before the officer is half way to where the gunman is, the shooter manages to get the next clip in and begins firing.

The two paramedics watch in terror as the man pulls the trigger. Shots ring out along with a gasp.

The officer is all right. More than all right actually. When he had seen what was happening, he had waited, timing it perfectly. The man had pulled the trigger and the bullets had pierced thin air. The officer had jumped up and caught the light fixture on the ceiling!

Before the shooter could recover from this rather odd sight, the officer swung himself hard out the window, very neatly nailing the man in the jaw. From there, the two were out of the paramedics' views.

There is the sound of a scuffle for several moments longer, followed by several gunshots. Then there is nothing except for someone's heavy breathing.

The female paramedic, Mai, had finally been brought- at least partially- out of her shock, there is a job to do after all, and she starts to stand.

"Mai! What are you doing?" her partner Don hisses, pulling her back down by her shoulder. "That man might have killed the officer and is trying to lure us over there."

"Or that officer who risked his life for us is lying outside bleeding out."

She shrugs off her partner's hand and stands once more, carefully walking towards the window. Passing the fireplace, she picks up a fire poker, knowing that against an armed assailant it wouldn't do any good, but maybe, just maybe, it would buy some time. She approaches the window cautiously. Staying against the wall, she barely peeks out and then gasps, dropping the fire poker.

Her partner, fearing the worst, rushes over to try to save her somehow, but he knows he won't make it. For some reason, though, another shot hasn't been fired. Instead she spins around to look at him.

"Don, quick. Get me the med kit!" she yells before jumping out the window herself.

Her feet hit the ground and she immediately steps over the unconscious and handcuffed body of the shooter and sees the police officer hunched over leaning against the fence of the alley between her parent's house and the neighbor's house.

She gets closer to him and realizes that, thankfully, he's not unconscious. In fact, he's already trying to stop the bleeding of his shoulder. She can't help but wonder at this man's pain tolerance.

Upon her reaching him and kneeling down, he looks up at her.

"Well, hello, ma'am," he says a little too cheerily through gritted teeth. "I see you're feeling better."

"You're not. Move your hand so I can see the wound."

He does as she asks, but winces and almost cries out when she begins putting pressure on it.

"It just grazed me," he tries to smile, teeth still tightly locked together, pain the predominant feature on his chiseled face.

"Don't pull that crap with me," she replies curtly and watches as his eyebrows raise slightly in surprise. "I know very well what it did, and it didn't 'graze' anything. It shot clean through your shoulder, Officer…?" It's her turn to be at a loss for names now.

The officer comes closer to a smile this time, and it seems to brighten up his face, "Grayson. Dick Grayson."

Whatever might have been said next is cancelled as they both look to Don as he fails at jumping out the window and lands on his butt with an undignified, "YOWCH!"

He's followed by another person, a female police officer.

"Grayson!" she says, rushing over to him. "What'd you do this time? Figure I couldn't get to you so you'd do something stupid?"

"Well, it was that or all three of us behind the sofa end up Swiss cheese," he smirks.

The corner of the female officer's lip almost curves up, but she quickly fights it back. "This is not a time for jokes, Grayson." She then looks to Mai and then Don, who had just recently joined the three of them. "How bad is it?"

"No artery. Just a little of the muscle it looks like, but we still need to get him to the hospital for them to check it out," Don says.

"He's not gonna like that. He hates hospitals."

"I'm right here," he sighs.

"We know," Sgt. Rohrbach smirks. "Well, I'll leave you two to get him loaded into the ambulance while I take care of Mr. Gun Happy over there. If he gets to be a handful, just hit him over the head with a newspaper."

The woman walks off and it's all Mai can do to stay calm. Mai doesn't know how the woman can be so nonchalant about her own partner getting shot, but she doesn't feel like calling her on it now, because first off she has a major headache coming on, and secondly, she feels like she's fixing to crash.

"Come on, Mai. Let's get Officer Grayson to the hospital. You gonna get the stretcher or should I?"

At this the officer's eyes get huge, "No stretcher. I can walk just fine."

"But—"

"No. Stretcher."

Mai and Don exchange looks over the officer's head. Mai looks to the stubborn man.

"Do you want us to get in trouble?"

Grayson seems somewhat perplexed at her seemingly random question. "No."

"Would you be allowed to leave the hand cuffs off a criminal because they said they wouldn't run?"

"No. Of course not," he scoffs.

"Then do you honestly think that just because you say you're fine we can violate policy?"

He seems to think about this for a moment before he looks back to her and asks, "Can I at least walk to the stretcher?"

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**Gotta love Dick, right?**

**Anyway... Well, as always, hope you enjoyed and I'll try to update soon. ^_^**

**~Kanae~**


	5. Chapter 5: Poor Unfortunate Souls

**Okay. Another short chapter, but hopefully a good one. **

**Enjoy!**

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She had just gotten back home and she felt numb. It is as if she isn't sure what has happened. She had stayed with the officer for a little while. Just long enough to make sure that he was okay, and then she had stopped in to say hello to another patient. A very brave little girl who had lost everything.

'_Just like me.' _She can't help but think. But even her thoughts seem as though they don't make sense. Her parents aren't dead. They can't be. The same people who had cared for her since she was little. The same people who have always been there. They can't be dead.

'_But they are_,' that little voice in the back of her mind said.

"No. They can't be dead!" she screams, clutching her head and sinking to the floor of her apartment. "They can't die! Not like this. Not them. Not—"

And that's when it finally sinks in, and the tears start falling, her sobs wracking her small frame.

"Why? Why? It's not FAIR! Why is it always too late? Why couldn't I have gotten there just a little bit sooner? I could've done something. I could've…"

Her words soon become unintelligible, as she cries harder.

Images of all the people who she's ever tried, and failed to save, swim across her vision. They beg her once more for their lives being spared.

Overwhelmed, she curls into the fetal position, crying and mouthing words that were no longer words but the incoherent mumblings of someone who has lost everything.

'_It should've been me. It should've been me.'_

But she knows that no matter how much she wishes it had been, she can't change what has happened.

She cries and cries into the early hours of the morning when she finally falls into a troubled sleep, plagued by dreams and faces of poor unfortunate souls.

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**So... Good, bad, or ugly? Hope it's not too bad. **

**Next chapter will be up VERY soon. **

**~Kanae~**


	6. Chapter 6: Clarity

Chapter 6: Clarity

There aren't many people there. In fact, all of them have left but her. She's the only one left. She can't leave them, yet. They deserve that much. The service had been moving, no doubt, but honestly, she doesn't remember most of it. She just kept thinking back to what had caused it.

But now, with the funeral over and her standing between the gravestones, she can think. Still not clearly, but she can think.

How can she go on with this job? All the violence and death-including her parents. How? Not a night goes by now that she actually sleeps. What's more, now the images haunt her in the daytime, too. Brief glimpses that make her every waking moment a nightmare.

A gentle hand on her shoulder, snaps her from her thoughts as she spins around to look at the owner.

Deep blue eyes meet her brown ones and it takes her a moment to remember his name.

"Officer Grayson. What are you doing here?"

"Not Officer Grayson. I'm off duty. Call me Dick. What do I call you?"

"Mai, I guess. That's what my friends call me," she says, looking at the ground. 'That's what Don calls me at least,' she adds to herself. She never has been any good at making friends. Even in school she had been an outcast. She was more interested in books and old big band records than in the newest tech and the upcoming dances.

"Mai," he repeats with a nod. She suddenly realizes that a sling is holding his right arm. The side that had been shot.

"Yeah… You still haven't answered my question. I don't mean to be rude, but you don't know my parents and you don't know me. Why are you here?"

He looks thoughtful a moment, "Because I felt like I should be. That and I need to tell you something. I couldn't tell you before because of well… You know, everything that happened that day," he pauses, making sure that she can handle what he's saying. "When I arrived on the scene, you're father… He was already gone and there was nothing I could do for him, but your mother… She was still alive. I… I had just knelt down beside her and started putting pressure on the wound when she looked at me. Her eyes weren't really focused. She was looking beyond me, over my shoulder, and she was mouthing something.

"I followed her gaze and she was looking at a picture. I turned back to her and I asked her if there was something that she wanted me to pass on to the woman in the picture. For a moment, her eyes teared up and she focused in on me. What she said was kind of broken. It must have been hard for her to get the words out by then. But she told me to tell that young woman that she is proud of who she had become and that she loves her very much. In case you haven't put two and two together, that woman is you. "

For a moment, she just trembles a little, the words processing, and then she slowly sinks to the ground, tears streaming down her face. Dick kneels down beside her and once more places a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I didn't come here to make you cry. I just thought you should know… Your mother wanted you to know."

She looks up at him, tears still cascading down her face, and she smiles. It's a small, fragile, broken smile, but it is a smile. "Thank you. Thank you for telling me."

He gives her a grim smile in return and then stands, holding his good hand out to her. She shakes her head. She wants to stay with them just a few more minutes. He understands her unspoken words and tells her goodbye. She watches as he leaves, thanking God for the messenger that brought her mother's lasts words to her.

The words didn't fix everything, but they did give her a kind of peace. One that she hadn't had since they died. Though she is still upset, she has achieved more clarity. She knows what she must do now.

"Things will be different," she promises her parents. "You'll see. Things will be different."


	7. Chapter 7: Answers

**This was typed two days ago, but I had a blonde moment and forgot to upload it so... Yeah. Sorry for the wait. Entirely my bad.**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

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"Are you sure about this, Mai?" the tall older man asks her. "You're one of the best we have. I know how you are. You really care about the people you bring in."

"I do, sir. And that's the problem. I've been having… nightmares, ever since that last big gang shoot out, and I just can't… I can't deal with it anymore… I'm sorry. I just…" She can't finish and he sees her pained expression.

The man sighs. "I understand, but… To avoid being hasty, I am going to give you a sabbatical. You're still recovering from what happened with your parents- God rest their souls- and I don't want you rushing into such a big decision prematurely. I am giving you a month of paid absence. That should give you time to sort through everything, kid. At the end of that month, call me back or come here to the station to give me your answer, alright?"

She nods. She knows that nothing will change, but she knows that it will be nice to have some time to clear her head. "Thanks."

"Take care, kiddo."

"You, too, Pop. Tell Mimmy that I said hello."

The man's face softens, "I'll do that. She'll be glad to hear from you."

With one final wave, she walks out the doors of her boss's office. She had known he and his wife for a long time. When she was growing up, her parents and her had lived next door to the older couple. Many days, she would go over to their house when her parents had to be elsewhere. She can still remember the chocolate chip cookies that Mimmy would make, and the days out in the yard helping Pop mow the yard or pick the were the grandparents she had never had.

She hated having to do this, after all, Pop was the one who had inspired her to become a paramedic; but she knew in her heart that her days as a paramedic were over.

She arrives at her apartment and walks into the living room amidst all of the boxes. The boxes are packed with all of her things. Despite what her trauma therapist might say, she has every intention of moving into the house that, up until two weeks ago, her parents had lived in. She couldn't bear the thought of anyone else living in her childhood home. No matter what anyone says she would be living there very soon.

Being an only child, everything her parents had was left to her. Everything. She would get rid of very little, she knew. Thankfully, her parents' styles were very similar to her own and all she would have to do is figure out where her own things and her parents' meet.

Mai still isn't sure what she's going to do after she quits being a paramedic. In fact, it feels quite strange to her that she would be quitting, but it has to be done. Just as she had explained to Pop, the dreams have been getting worse and worse and she knows that as long as she does what she does, they will continue to worsen.

'_Besides_,' she reasons with herself, '_I always get to people too late. I want to do something that will cut down on the carnage, not just patch it up_.'

But what would that be?

Troubled by the lack of answers that she has, she sits down in her recliner and thinks. What? What could help people before they needed help from a doctor? To be honest, she really didn't know.

Realizing her dilemma, she is suddenly very grateful to Pop for giving her the sabbatical. This would give her the needed time to think, organize her thoughts, really plan out what her next move is.

"I'll pack the last of my stuff tomorrow and start moving it to their—my new house. I have a whole month to make a decision on what I'm going to do with my life, but for now, I need sleep. Maybe something will strike me tomorrow."

And with that, she heads off to bed, her mind still searching for answers and praying for a dreamless sleep.

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**Well? What do you think? **

**The next chapter is already typed and will be uploaded already by the time you finish reading this.**

**Hope you liked this chapter.**

**~Kanae~**


	8. Chapter 8: Discovery

**What can I say about this chapter? It's the longest chapter yet with an original-before author's comments- 1, 570 words. Definitely the longest by far. Two hours of typing with my horrible typing skills, because of this, I hope you enjoy. ^_^**

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It had taken her a few days, but she had managed to make it work. Everything of hers is now in her new house and the last month's rent for her former apartment has been paid.

Now how to make the place feel like home. Like her home.

Oh well. That can wait. Right now, she has an appointment to get to. With a smile on her face, she grabs her jacket, sets the alarm, steps outside, and locks the door.

Almost thirty minutes later, she's there at the hospital, waiting for the girl's physical therapy to be done. She readjusts the package she's carrying. Today, she was bringing a surprise. Something a little bit bigger than books. It wasn't like she needed a second one after all. She would give this girl her parents' and keep her own. All of the memory had already been erased by a pro so now, it is all ready for her.

Ten minutes later, the physical therapists come out. One of the women that is there every day that she came stops next to her.

"You know. I can't help but notice that you really have a way with children. If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm- I was a paramedic. Now I'm in between jobs trying to figure out what to do."

"Well, if the progress you've made with this kid is any indication, you should go into something that you can work with kids. The first day we were here, all she did was kind of scowl, but she's starting to smile a little every now and then."

She can't help but laugh. "I'm sure that has nothing to do with me. She's just coming to accept the accident and what happened as a result. That's all."

The woman shakes her head, "Whatever you say. Well. I'll let you get in there. Bye."

"Bye," Mai replies, waving as the woman left and then knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" the girl asked even though she knew already who it would be.

Mai smiles on the other side of the door, "Room service."

"Come in."

She opens the door slowly, trying to hide the surprise as long as possible.

"Hey, Marley. How are you today?" she questions, stepping into the room only after putting her arms- and the surprise- behind her back.

"I'm doing better. You?" The girl couldn't help but remember how the woman had acted the past few visits. She had seemed so sad.

Mai smiles knowingly, "I'm much better."

"I'm glad."

"You want to know something?"she asks, walking over to sit in the chair by Marley's bed.

"What?"

"I have a surprise for you."

"More books?"

"Nope, but I think you'll like it just the same."

The girl's face becomes one of puzzlement. "What is it?"

Without further ado, Mai pulls the satchel in front of her and sets it on the girl's bed. "You'll have to open it to see."

The girl slowly reaches for the satchel and opens it. Immediately, she gasps. "This is… This is…"

"For you."

Carefully, almost reverently, Marley pulls out the object within. A blue laptop. She had never had a laptop before. She had always wanted one, but there was never any money for it, not even when her mother was…

But now someone she hardly knows is _giving_ her a laptop. "I… I can't…"

"Yes, you can. I have a laptop already and this one belonged to someone very special to me. I want you to have it. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of putting my e-mail and phone number in there in case you ever want to talk to someone."

Marley looks down at the shiny laptop. She's in shock. No one had ever been this nice to her before. Well, except Dick, of course. The two of them were the only visitors she had in the hospital. The _only_ ones.

The girl looks up from the device, her eyes a little misty as she smiles. "Thanks, Mai."

"Anytime. I don't want to lose contact with you after you leave the hospital. I'd love if you'd keep in touch."

The girl winces. "Do you know what's going to happen to me after I leave?"

"Do you have any other—"

"No. I don't."

Mai nods and then smiles. "I'm sure you'll be alright. Things will work out. Sometimes, adversity make you stronger."

"And sometimes it destroys you."

"But you're a strong young woman. I know at least part of what you're going through with your parents—"

"No. You don't," Marley states flatly.

"Yeah. I do. Better than you might think."

"Did your mom die and then your dad kill himself with a bullet to the head?" she questions, sarcasm and bitterness thick in her words.

Mai sighs. The girl has been doing better, but there's still a lot pent up. "No. They didn't."

"Then how could you possibly—"

"They were shot and killed in their own house a little over two weeks ago."

The words hung there in the air for a moment before they sunk into the girl's mind enough to process. "Mai… I'm… I'm sorry. I can't believe that I…"

"No. Don't apologize to me. I want you to be one hundred percent honest with me. I want to be one of the people that you can talk to. That you feel you can trust. No matter what happens to you after you leave here, I'll help you any way I can. Alright, Marley?"

"Okay."

"Well. It's getting kinda late and I have to work on unpacking my things."

"That's right. You said you were moving."

"Yep. It's a done deal. Now I just have to unpack."

"When will you be back?" The girl asks, a worried expression on her face.

"I'll come back as soon as I can. And my own laptop is already unpacked so you can e-mail me whenever you feel like it. Well," Mai says standing, "I'll see you soon, alright?"

The girl smiles and nods. "Alright."

And with one last smile, Mai is out the door and headed down the hall.

Sometimes, she wonders if these little visits don't help her as much as it seems to help Marley. Despite knowing her for so little time, she really did feel a responsibility and a kind of older sister attachment to the girl. Marley had been through so much, just as she had, but both of them are still alive and still trying.

Another thirty minutes passes and she's back home, going through the house, examining her parents' furniture. She's just gotten through with the dining room table and is checking the frame of one of the two beds in the house when she finds something. A box.

The box is no bigger than a photograph box and it's got scenes of Ancient Egypt all over it. Hieroglyphs, pictures, and whatnot. She has to smile. Her parents had always been into Egyptian things. _Egypt was our past before our great, great grandparents' had moved to America_, they would say.

Curious, she opens the box to reveal wrapping paper. Carefully removing the paper, she gasps. Inside is the most beautiful golden mask she has ever seen. The mask has an upper band at the top which has a triangular ruby in the center and on either side, one turquoise square. The mask itself has eyeholes, made to look like the eyes in the Egyptian reliefs and paintings.

"It's beautiful," she manages to breathe.

Picking up the mask and the box, she walks into the bathroom and stands in front of the mirror with her discovery.

She puts the mask on, and she looks at herself for a moment.

"It doesn't even look like me," she says, a smile playing on her lips but hidden from view by the mask.

She's fixing to take the mask off when a piece of paper in the box catches her eye. She looks down and picks up the paper, highly inquisitive as to what it says. There, in her mother's own neat handwriting, is one word. Or rather, a name.

"Ma'at?" she says aloud and as soon as she looks in the mirror, her eyes widen.

No longer is she standing there in her blue t-shirt and jeans. Now she stands in front of the mirror in a golden chest piece that has no shoulders and stops mid-torso, with one scarab right above her chest and one right below her naval. The first scarab holds into place a flowing white fabric that has three tiers on each side. One covers her shoulder, one covers part of her upper arm and the last covers most of her lower arm and her wrist. The second scarab holds the traditional Egyptian skirt that stops at her knee, with a belt of sorts being held in place by the scarab also and the leftover flowing down to her ankles.

In shock, Mai stumbles back away from the mirror and drops the box.

"Wha... What's going on?"

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**So, how's that for a jump out of nowhere and smack you in the face chapter/cliffhanger?**

**Hope you enjoyed and I'll try to update soon.**

**~Kanae~**


	9. Chapter 9: Reflection

**It has been a very, very, very long time for this story to update, I realize. Longer than most of my other stories, but I was having issues with plot and where to go next so...**

**It took me awhile-obviously-but I've finally figured it out so... Yeah. Here it is. I hope to be updating a little more frequently than I have been. ^_^**

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**Chapter 9: Reflection**

Mai stares uncomprehendingly into the mirror, completely startled and confused, but slightly more calm than a moment ago when the transformation had first happened.

"What is… How… I don't…" she continues to stare in wonder at her newfound outfit and then she sees the paper where she had dropped it and the mask's box on the floor. The paper, in its fall had flipped, revealing another word on the back of the paper.

Bending down so that she could inspect the paper and the writing more thoroughly.

Picking the paper up carefully, she brings it up to where she may read the same handwriting in which the other word had been written on the front.

"Isfet?"

It is only her fast reflexes that keep the mask from hitting the ground.

"What?" she questions, staring at the mask now in her hand.

She looks back up in the mirror to see that her appearance is normal once more.

"What on earth is going on... ?"

She continues to stare at her reflection for several more moments until an idea starts to form.

Raising the mask to her face once more, she repeats the word that had started this.

"Ma'at."

Immediately, her appearance reverted to that of the Egyptian garb with the mask fixed in place, the eyes whitened out.

"How is this possible?" she questions, staring bewilderedly at her reflection.

Suddenly, a loud knock at the door breaks her from her ponderings. Near panicking, she whisper-yells, "Isfet!" and the mask falls once more. She quickly puts the mask back in the box and throws the box into the cabinet under her sink before hurrying to the door.

Reaching the door, she looks through the peephole before daring to open it.

"Hello, Don," she smiles to her former partner. "What are you doing here?"

He returns the smile quickly.

"Just checkin' up on you. Makin' sure everything's alright."

"I'm doing quite well actually. And you? How's little Maria doing?"

"Much better. She's healthy again. Not waking Jenny and I up with those coughs still."

"I bet you're glad for that," Mai smiles.

"Very actually."

"Well, it's good to hear that she's doing better. I'd meant to call before now to ask about her, but I've been really busy here, and I just never got around to it."

"Yeah…" Don says, before sighing. "…I heard that you quit. I know you're having a rough time, but… Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

She nods.

"Yes, Don. I'm positive. I can't… I can't do the job anymore. I just can't…"

"Do you know what you'll do yet?"

"I'm running through my options now. I'm sure I'll figure something out."

He nods before glancing over his shoulder at the street where a big white ambulance is parked.

"The department will miss you, Mai. You were the best," that said, he sighs once more. "Well, I have to get back on the road. Just came from a call nearby and wanted to check up on you."

Mai smiles genuinely.

"Thanks, Don. Tell your wife and Maria I said hi."

"Will do, partner," he replies as he walks back to the ambulance.

She watches as Don climbs into the ambulance and drives out of sight around the corner of the street. With a heavy sigh, she closes the door and walks back to the bathroom.

Instead of pulling out the mask once more, she simply stares into the mirror.

"What are you going to do with the rest of your life?" she asks her reflection. Closing her eyes, she leans on the countertop and hangs her head. "What on earth could I do to cut down on the carnage? What?"

For several more minutes she stands there before an idea strikes her. Slowly, she bends down to open the cabinet under the sink and pull the box out. Lifting the lid, she removes the mask from the box and stands once more. Putting the mask against her face and looking into the mirror, she smiles behind the golden face staring back at her.

"What indeed."

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**Gee... I wonder what she's thinking about doing? haha.**

**Well, as I said, I hope to update again in a decent amount of time.**

**Hope everyone enjoyed this little comeback chapter.**

**~Kanae~**


	10. Chapter 10: The Rules of Job Hunting

**Wow, I'm actually updating in a decent span of time. Amazing...**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy. ^_^**

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Chapter 10: The Rules of Job Hunting

"It should not be this difficult… It really shouldn't."

These are the first words spoken in almost three hours of searching on the internet for a job.

It is true that Mai had an epiphany over what her _real _job would be, but that job you didn't really go around spreading the word about. Especially not in Blϋdhaven… That is how people get killed. And the job certainly doesn't pay anything besides self-satisfaction and the knowledge that one person can indeed make a difference.

No. That decision of a real job had been reached nearly five hours ago. Now she is looking for a job to pay the bills. One that wouldn't take up much time and would take place during the daytime as much as possible. Yes, now she is looking for a cover job for her real job. Preferably one that would help her do her real job.

But what?

And so finally giving up on just blindly searching, she gets out a sheet of paper from her work desk, throws a pen down, pulls her black locks out of her face, and begins to write down the rules for her "new" job.

Nothing involving blood.

The nightmares had only last night begun to dwindle in strength. Minimal amount of blood involved would be good for this anyway. She'd probably be seeing more of it during her night job.

Nothing requiring a specialized degree.

She had her medical training and what was required of that, but nothing more than that. She had always wanted to be a paramedic and, therefore, that is what she had trained for in life.

Clearly anything in the medical field is immediately ruled out by number one so what training she has is pointless.

Only run during the daytime.

The night job would be demanding, and working late into the night impossible. This ruled out most office jobs as paperwork often seeps over into the late hours of the night.

A bonus would be if she could use her day job to keep an ear out for things to look at in her night job.

Anything she could learn about during the day that could help her at night would be a blessing… But what exactly could that job be…

"Have to think…" she says, putting the pen down and cradling her head in her hands. Some part of her mind registers that she is doing this more and more often lately; the other part of her mind tells the first to shut up.

So long does she sit her unmoving that without even realizing it she drifts to sleep.

Her dreams are not pleasant.

Another gang shooting. More innocent bystanders killed. More teenaged gang members bleeding out on the sidewalks with nothing that can be done. All of the paramedics desperate attempt to save as many as possible are useless. In the end, they would all die, and it would be regarded as the worst teen gang shooting in Blϋdhaven to date.

Despite her mind telling her this, the event is re-lived with the exact same hope that some of them live, the very same sensation of the adrenaline surging through her veins, the very same gory, horrific images surrounding her.

These images are some of the very same she knows she will never be rid of, even if all the others stop. The images of those children bleeding out on the streets when they should be in school would—

Before the dream even comes to its usual ending, she wakes with a startled gasp and frantically reaches for her computer keyboard, effectively scattering every paper on her desk.

Typing in the words, she clicks search and then what looks to be the most likely source of help.

Skimming the page, she finally comes to a job that should cater to every checkpoint on her list: No blood—that she could think of anyway; Nothing more required than a high school diploma—she had that, of course; The hours would run from about 6:00 am to 5:00 pm. Even the bonus could be answered.

Who knows? She might even like this job.

With this thought in mind, she looks up the nearest location involving the job. Finding it without problem, she is ecstatic to see a job opening and begins to type her e-mail of application to the one in charge.

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**So, has anyone guessed, yet? Hmmm?**

**Well, you'll see in the next chapter if you haven't. ^_^**

**~Kanae~**


	11. Chapter 11: Why?

**This is the shortest update time, yet I think. Two chapters in one night must be some kind of record for me. **

**Enjoy. ^_^**

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Chapter 11: …Why?

It has been seven days since her job application was sent in, and she has mere moments ago received the phone call telling her to report to the job on the following Monday, bright and early.

A sense of both relief and anxiety fills her. She will not be jobless, but she will also be working under a completely different set of rules. She hasn't been in this environment for _years_. Many, many years.

She is going to be a school librarian's assistant.

Not just any school, though. A high school. In downtown Blϋdhaven.

Why?

Because she knows that school in particular will be the best place to keep an ear to the ground when it comes to gangs and gang violence, possibly even drugs. The school she would be working at had an almost ridiculously high rate of gang membership and everything associated with it.

Would it be dangerous working there? Of course, but it would also give her the very edge she needed. The innocent librarian's aid would hopefully be able to eavesdrop every now and then, and pick up information through the grapevine. What better place to cut down on the carnage than at one of its sources?

With a semi-contented sigh, she looks at the clock on the mantle place and decides on what her next course of action will be.

Picking up her jacket and purse, she walks out her door—locking it soundly behind her—and gets in her car.

Twenty minutes later, she arrives and enters the hospital building, once more planning to visit her youngest friend.

Reaching the door to the young girl's room in no time, she knocks once and is greeted by a quiet, "Come in."

As she opens the door and peeks in, she sees the face of her young friend brighten substantially, even daring a smile.

"Hey, Mai."

"Hello, Marly," the woman replies, her own smile appearing as she closes the door behind her and walks to the chair by the bed. "How are you doing today, kiddo?"

Marly merely shrugs as if to say 'the usual' and then looks at Mai quizzically. "How about you? You seem to be in an especially good mood today."

"Well, I got a job."

The young girl's eyebrows draw together a little in puzzlement.

"A job? What kind of job?"

It takes all of Mai's self-restraint to not tell her friend her real job; the girl knowing would only put her in more danger and her future is tedious enough as is.

"I'm going to be a school librarian assistant."

At these words, Marly looks even more bemused.

"A school librarian assistant?"

"Yes."

"… Why?"

_Because I need a cover._

"Well, I've always liked books and whatnot. Besides, a change of scenery will do me well. I think this job is just what I need."

The girl still seems skeptical, but she tries to sound happy for her friend.

"Well… That's good, I guess."

"I feel like… Like everything's finally starting to fall back into place, Marly. As if my life is going to get back on track again, return to some semblance of normalcy."

Mai doesn't miss the shadow that crosses the girl's face as she looks down.

"Marly… What is it?"

"The doctor's say I'll probably be getting out soon."

"That's great news. Have they figured out where you'll go yet?"

"No," she replies a little too quickly.

The small woman ignores this and continues cheerfully in an attempt to lift the young girl's spirit.

"Well, no matter what, you have to keep in touch with me. You still have the laptop, right?"

Marly nods in answer as she points to the bag sitting on her bedside table with her books.

"Good. I want you to promise that you won't forget about me when you get out. Okay?" Mai smiles.

At this, the girl looks up finally.

"I won't forget about you. Promise."

Mai's smile broadens and she is about to say something else before the door to Marly's room opens once more and a nurse steps in.

"Marly, it's time for your physical therapy today. Tell your visitor goodbye," she states, taking up a position at the door that clearly says, 'the PT is now and I'm not waiting any longer than necessary'.

"Well, I guess I gotta go…" Marly sighs.

"I'll try to visit you again before you get out, but if I can't, make sure to contact me when you leave and tell me where you'll be, alright?"

Once more, the girl merely nods, and Mai gives her a quick hug before walking past the nurse, waving to the girl, and leaving.

With a liveliness in her step that hadn't existed just a few days ago, she exits the hospital, spirits high and mind ready for what might come.

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**Is anyone else curious about what is to come, because I am. I can't wait to type up some more chapters. ^_^**

**~Kanae~**


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